Track-cleaner.



No. 793,924. PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

B. L. DRESSER. I TRACK CLEANER.

APPLIUATION' FILED 13110.7, 1904.

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i9. fireaaer Witness N0. 793.92 1. PATENTED JULY 4. 1905. B. L. DRESSER.

TRACK CLEANER.

APPLIOATIQN FILED 13130.7, 1904.

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llglivinrisn Strainer Patented July t, 1905,

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed December 7,

To (11/ Iii/mm it Iii/my colt/writ:

tie it known that l, HriNJAMiN .lJ. lli-iussua, a citizen of the United States, residing at UK- bridge, in the county of \"Vorcester and lrltatc of lt lassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful lmprovcments in 'lrack-(,lleaners, of which the followingis a spc( :ili(attion.

'lhis illVOl'ltlOn consists of a cleaning mechanism, adapted in its preferred use to be applied to cars or rolling-stock for cleai'iing the track over which said rolling-stock passes.

'lhe invention embodies brush thn'iccs i'nountcd in a suitable su1)portingr-frame designed to be attached to the car or whatever type of carrier it may be desired to apply the invention, which brush devices are operated by a suitable motor.

The invention also contemplates the use of cutting mechanism adapted to co(' peratc with the brushes in the cleaning operation and used more particularly in wintry weather to 'positivi'ily break up any ice or frozen gravel particles which may lodge upon the track detrimental to the movcn'ient of the cars.

.l or a full descrn ition of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acq uire a knowt edge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accom panyin d raw i n rVhile the lllVtJltiOl'l may be adapted to differcnt forms and conditiol'is by changes in the structure and minor details without depart ing- 'fl'Ol'l) the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying d rawings, in whichl igure l is a top plan view showingthe invention applied to the front of a car or like carrier. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the in vention. lflig. 3 is a side elevation of one of Patent 1W0, 793,924, dated July e, 1905.

1904. Serial No. 235,845.

The front axle! of the truck 1 is shown mount ed therein, said axle havingthe usual wheelsil.

The invention isdesiu'ned for att:u:hment in front of the truck I of a vehicle; and it consists, primarily, of a suitable supportingframe comprising" a ln-ai'isverse bar -land side bars 5. The side bars 5 are suitablyattached to the truck 1, such attachment being; sullieiei'itly rigid to hold the cleaningdevice in proper position. lietuwen the side bars 5 of the franieof the cleai'iino attachment is located a longitudinal s11 iportii'ig-bar (5, and this bar carries upon its under side suitable boxings 7 and 8, one located in advance of the other. A short shaft 3) is mounted transversely of the cleaner-frame in the boxing 7 above mentioned, and this shaft is connected at its ends with stub-shafts 10, upon which are carried revolvii'ig brushes 11. The shafts 10 are, mounted at an angle to the line of the shaft 1) and are connected with said shaft 9 by means of universal joints 1E2. 'lhe brushes 11. are mounted upon the outer extremities of the stub-sl'iafts l0 and are actuated, of course, by the revolution of said shaft Motion is transmitted to the shaft 9 through a suitable train of gearing, and in this instance power is communicated from the axle 2 to the shaft 9 through the medium of internlcsl'iing gears 13 and l-l-, mounted upon the respective elements 2 and 9 aforesaid. As the vehicle advances the brushes 11 will be revolved in a manner readily :umarent, and these brushes operate immediately in advance of the wheels 3, so that the track over which said wheels pass will be thoroughly cleaned by contact with the brushes 11. The brushes 1 '1 operate at an angle to the line of the track, and the lTltttGllfll with which the brushes come into contact is accordingly swept outwardly away from the sides of the track.

lin addition to the brushes 1 1 under certain conditions it is desirable to utilize some means for cutting' ice or frozen material from the grooves of the track or from the upper side thereof, as the case may be, and in this event the attachment which comprises the invention is provided with a cutter-shaft 15, mounted transversely of the frame thereof and carried in the bearing 8 upon the bar 6. The shaft 15 is n'iounted at its end portions in suitable l boxing's depending from the end bars 5 of the frame of the attachment, and thus rigidly supported. At the ends of the shaft l5 are disposed cutter-wheels or spiders if from which project a plurality of cutters or blades l7. The blades l? are adapted for adjustment so as to contact with the tracle rails in order to remove foreign matter therefrom, as hereinbefore premised upon. It is preferred to transmit power to the shaft 15 by means of sprockets 18, mounted upon the shafts 9 i and 15 and connected by the usual sprocketchain 1). lt will be understood, however, that the shafts 9 and 15 may be ope 'ated by an independent motor or motors, as found desirable in the actual use of the invention. The boxings 7 and 8, in which the shafts 9 and 15 are mounted, are preferably provided with springs 20, cooperating with the upper brasses 21 in order that the mounting of the brushes and the cutting devices may have a certain amount of elastic play to accommodate the up-and-down motion of the rollingstoclc in its travel.

The mounting of the brushes 11 isvsuch that the same serve to a certain extent as fenders, and should a person through accident or otherwise be thrown before the ear or rolling-stock life may be readily preserved, due to the fact that the brushes would under certain conditions roll the body of such person off of the track. 7

The cutters may he provided in any suitable number, and said cutters are secured to the part 16 by substantial fastening means. hvo cutters are preferably situated ad acent each other at intervals, one of said cutters being longer than the other, so to clean the rail upon the inner side thereof, whereas the other cutter is d o uble-pointed, so as to eileetively engage the surface of the rail in cleaning the same. he double-pointed cutter is indicated at 17 and the single-pointed cutter Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. in a device of the class described, the combination of an attachment embodying a drive-shaft and stub-shafts arranged at an angle to the line of the drive-shaft and operable with said drive-shaft, brushes mounted upon said stub-shafts, a shaft mounted in advance of the drive-shaft, and cutters mounted upon the last-mentioned shaft and operating in advance of the brushes aforesaid.

2. in a device of the class described, the combination of a drive-shaft, stub-shafts, universal joints connecting the inner ends of the stubshafts with the end portions of the driveshaft, brushes mounted upon the outer ends of the stub-shafts and operated at an angle to the line of axis of the drive-shaft, a shaft mounted in advance of the d riveshaft, means for transmitting motion to the last-mentioned shaft, spiders mounted upon the ends of the last-mentioned shaft, and cutters carried by said spiders.

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

illlNJrUllN l). DRESSER. it. Witnesses:

(J. EDWARD ))LANCHARD, Janus i TRACY. 

